Signal means for suction cleaners



Nov. 3, 1942. H. H. SCHOTT S IGNAL MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Jan. 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l gwuc/wtm HOWAZPD HSCHOTT Nov. 3, 1942. H. H. SCHOTT SIGNAL MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Jan. 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 awe/rm HOWARD f2. SCHOTT Nov. 3, 1942. H. H. SCHOTT I SIGNAL MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Jan. 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 HOWARD H JCHOTT Patented Nov. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i 2,300,105 I I SIGNAL MnANs ron SUCTION cnnamtns Howard H. Schott, New Britain, Conn, anignor to Landon, Fran a our, New Britain, Conn, a corporation or Connecticut Application January 11, 1940, Serial No. 313,889

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to signal means new ciated therewith for indicating when the emclency thereof is impaired by the amount of dirt accumulated within the dust collector.

More particularly, the invention relates to vacuum cleaners of the type wherein the dust collector is positioned within the casing and in advance of the blower or suction producing means. In such cleaners, the dirt tends topack against the walls of the dust collector, necessitating the passage of the incoming air initially through the dust and then through the bag. As a result, when a predetermined amount of dust is collected, the emciency of the cleaner will rapidly drop off, even though the amount of dust collected is less than the full holding capacity thereof. In many instances, when the rapid eiiiciency drop results, the user. upon examining the bag and finding that the accumulated dust appears to be less than an impairment in the mechanical blower producing means, failing to appreciate that the accumulated dust is the cause thereof.

The object of the present invention is to provide signal means operative when a predetercapacity of the bag, concludes that there is that of Fig. 1, but embodying another modification of the invention herein; and

Figs. '7 and 8 are views taken respectively on the lines 1--l and 08 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a vacuum cleaner of the cylindrical type having a cylindrical casing l0 closed at one end by a removable closure 12. Supported within the casing is a cylindrical dust collector ll made of any suitable flexible material so woven as to allow the air to pass therethrough while retaining the dust therein. The bag It is clamped at its forward open end to a cylindrical ring it having a laterally extending flange il' clamped between the body portion ill and the end closure 12, whereby the axis of the bag will be positioned in alignment with the axis of the cleaner casin The cleaner further includes a blower or suction producing means and a motor therefor mounted within an inner housing 20 located rearwardly of the dust collector and spaced from the casing by a gasket 2|. Inasmuch as the foregoing is all of well-known construction, for purposes of simplicity the details are omitted herein.

In accordance with the invention herein, there is provided means associated with the dust col- A still further object is the provision of signal means associated with the vacuum cleaner'and characterized by its simplicity and eiliciency in operation and its dependability and reliability in service and performance.

Other objects will be in part obvious andin part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements,

and arrangement of parts which will be exemplifled in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claim.

- In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section and parthr broken away, of the vacuum cleaner embodying the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the broken away portion of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are views taken respectively on the lines 3-4, and 5-! of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view of a vacuum cleaner similar to lector l4 and responsive to the weight of dust collected therein for operating a suitable signal for indicating to the user that the dust accumulated within the collector is such that a drop in operating eiliciency will thereafter occur unless the collector is cleaned. Referring initially, to Figs. 1 to 5, the means for accomplishing this comprises generally a second class lever 22 fulcrumed at its forward end and adapted to pivot in a clockwise direction in direct response to the weight of the material accumulated within the collector H. The movement of the lever 22 is transmitted through a slidable member 24 to the pressure end of a first class lever 28 adapted when pivoted to operate the signal means. In the emmeans is shown, it is understood that any suitable electrically operated signal means .could be utilized and, in like manner, the means responsive to the weight of material accumulated within the collector could also be utilized to operate suitable mechanical signal means.

. closed by a cover it More specifically, and for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment of the invention, the lever 22 may comprise a parti-cylindric'al plate It provided adjacent its forward end with depending ears 38 spaced equally to either side of the center line thereof and having therethrough aligned pivot pin receiving apertures 39. The cars ll straddle the upwardly projecting ears ll of a bracket 42 positioned on the casing with the ears ll equally spaced to either side of the center line of the casing and secured thereon as by screws 44. The upstanding ears in are also provided with pivot receiving apertures ll alignable with the apertures I9 of the cars 38 whereby when the parts are properly aligned the lever 22 may be secured to the bracket by pivot pins 46 having outer enlarged heads and their inner ends peaned over to permanently secure the lever in place. Obviously, when so mounted the lever 22 underlies the collector It and with its center line located in the vertical plane through the collector and easing.

As previously indicated, the inner or weight receiving end of the lever II rests on a vertically slidable member 24; this member in the present embodiment consisting of a pin ll having an enlarged head ll directly supporting the lever. The pin II is slidable in a sleeve 52 having a body part extending through an aperture in the casing II and held in place by an enlarged collar 53 disposed in. the casing and a lock nut 54 threadably received on the depending body part outside the casing.

For convenience in the lever 20 and the 82 are all assembled manufacture and assembly, switch contacts ll, 30, and in a unit which may then be secured to the bottom of the casing and ensecured to the casing in any convenient way. In constructing the unit, the lever 28 may initially have secured thereto the spanning contact a; the contact being a flat plate 2| riveted to, but insulated from, the free end of a flexible arm II; the other end of the arm being fixed to the lever II by a bolt is extending through suitable apertures therein and secured in place b a nut ii.

To provide a fulcrum for the lever II, it is pro- .vided intermediate of its ends with an aperture for receiving the depending stud ll of a supporting arm ll and then nut 022' The supporting arm II is further provided with a transverse bore ll alignable with apertures provided in the depending ears .8! of an inverted U- ped bracket it: the bore and apertures being adapted to receive a pivot pin ll whereby the lever 2| is pivotally mounted on the bracket ll.

To support the pivot bracket G, the base thereof has an upwardly projecting lug II through an aperture in the base 'H supporting bracket II; the extremities of the side legs 13 of bracket I2 having lateral arms ll extending outwardly therefrom and curved to the contour of the bottom of the casing II and secured thereto as by screws 10. To further utilize the bracket 12 as a support for the contacts I and II, the latter are carried on the inner end of a horizontally arranged arm II extending beof a U-shaped tween the vertical legs of the bracket 12. Arm.

1| is provided intermediate 01 its ends with an aperture 80 through which the upwardly projecting lug 10 of the pivot supporting bracket 66 a so extends, and, when properly positioned, the upper end of the ing is peaned over to positively secure the arm ll in position.

secured thereon by a lock extending inner end to receive a securing '12. As the weight increases,

To support the contacts II and l! on the end of arm 18, they are each provided with a vertically extending portion N and a horizontally extending portion at; the horizontally extending portions being secured to a transverse arm I. by a bolt so extending through aligned apertures therein and secured by a nut 82. The transverse arm 88 is secured to the end of the arm II by a rivet 94 extending through suitable aligned apertures therein, and there may also be arranged above the arm 88 and secured thereon the rivet 94 a transverse strip of insulating material to overlie the headed ends of.the bolts ll.

At its forward end, the arm II also provides a support for one end of a spring 82; the spring depending therefrom and having its other end connected to the lever 2| intermediate of its pressure and its fulcrum and functioning to maintain the circuit closure in balanced open position when the dust bag I4 is empty.

As best seen in Fig. l. the signal means comprises a bulb II receivable within a socket ll secured to the casing II and preferably positioned within a vertical opening arranged in the casing handle ill, whereby the bulb will be aiforded protection against breakage. The socket is secured to the casing by having a central contact I02 of such length that it extends through an aperture in the casing wall and is threaded on its nut I. The circuit through the switch closure and the signal means includes one lead ill having one end secured to the central contact I02 of the socket by a nut It! and its other end connected to the securing bolt 80 of the circuit contact II by a nut llii;.a second lead III having one end connected to the securing out so of the contact I! by a nut Ill and its other end to a source of power; and a third lead lls having one end connected to the shell of the socket 9B and its other end to the source of power.

With the device constructed in the aforementioned manner, when the cleaner is operated the collector II will assume the position indicated in Fig. 1; this position being due to the expansion thereof by the air therethrough. In the type of cleaner illustrated, the collector II will hold approximately five pounds of dirt or dust when it is completely filled, but when approximately a pound and a half of dust has been accumulated, the emciency of the cleaner will rapidly drop off due to the increased resistance 01 air flow through the bag. As the dust accumulates, the collector I will sag and its weight be taken by the lever the lever will rotate about its fulcrum in a clockwise direction to depress the member 24 and in turn pivot the lever 28 in a counterclockwise direction, overcoming the tendency of the spring 82 to maintain the parts in balance and thus tend to close the signal switch by moving the' contact 28 toward'olosed position. As the weight oi accumulated dust increases, further movement of the contact 2| will result until the predetermined amount of dust ceiving end a parti-cylindrical plate HI underlying the dust collector is and secured to the lever by rivets I20 and at its opposite end'carries a spanning contact 28.

. To fulcrum the lever in the casing Hi, there is supported in the motor housing supporting gasket I24 a rectangular frame member I26 provided with aligned apertures for receiving a pivot pin I28. The lever is mounted on the pivot pin by providing in the upper suri'ace thereoi a semicircular groove I mating with a semi-circular groove it: provided in a plate I overlying and secured to the lever as by rivets I"; the matin grooves defining a bore through which pin l2! extends.

As in the first embodiment, the spanning contact 28 is carried by a spring finger I riveted to the lever ill whereby movement of the lever in a counterclockwise direction will move the spanning contact into engagement with the circuit closing contacts ll and 32 oi similar construction to those of the first embodiment. However, for

supporting the contacts II and 82 they are mounted on a semi-circular arm llll secured to the motor housing 2| by screws 2; there be ing interposed between the arm I and the housing a strip of insulating material I. The lever H0 is normally maintained in balance with the contacts open by a spring finger I22 secured to the under side of the lever by the rivets I20 and abutting against the inside of the casing I0.

In order to prevent dust from passing through the rectangular casing l2] mounted in the gasket I24, a flexible sleeve Ill may be mounted with one end engaging the casing l2! and the other end the lever iii. As the circuit, signal means, and operation thereof aresimiliar to those in the first embodiment, they will not be further described herein.

There is thus shown two embodiments of means ior indicating the operating condition 0! the suction cleaner, and in both embodiments a signal ing drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the iollowing claim is intended to cover all of thegeneric and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of' the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

In a bag condition responsive means for suction cleaners having a casing and a flexible inflatable dust collector within the casing, a member movably mounted on the cleaner casing underlying the dust collector anl normally out of contact therewith when the collector is inflated and responsive to the weight of material after a predetermined amount has been collected therein to cause the collector to sag down onto the member, and means responsive to movement of the member.

HOWARD H. SCHOTT. 

